Trade dismay at job scheme update


Ben Ireland and Juliet Dennis


Travel agency bosses have reiterated pleas for sector-specific government support to protect jobs after the chancellor’s latest announcement again failed to recognise the industry’s position. Rishi Sunak last week expanded


the Job Support Scheme, which replaces furlough from November 1, to cover two-thirds of wages of staff working for firms “required to close their premises due to coronavirus restrictions” and to provide cash grants of up to £3,000 a month. Incomes will be provided for


workers in sectors such as pubs and restaurants that must close in


tier-three areas of the local lockdown measures announced by prime minister Boris Johnson on Monday. Agents said the revised scheme


did not account for the loss of business the travel industry continues to face, as neither retail premises nor homeworking businesses will benefit. They said travel remained


“overlooked” for government support unlike sectors such as hospitality. Miles Morgan, chairman of


Miles Morgan Travel, said he was “disappointed” with the “incredibly frustrating” update to the Job Support Scheme. “At some point, the government


needs to recognise that some sectors are facing more pain than others. “They don’t deem the travel


The hospitality


sector seems to have the ear of government and we clearly do not


industry as being shut down since March [yet] we still have to answer phones to our customers. “I’ve given up hope of getting any


help. The hospitality sector seems to have the ear of government and we undoubtedly do not.” Neil Basnett, owner of Holiday


Inspirations, has set up a meeting between his local MP, minister for business and industry Nadhim Zahawi, and local travel firm owners


to discuss the lack of support for the outbound travel industry. He added: “The travel industry


has been overlooked by government.” Graeme Brett, owner of Westoe


Travel and Abta’s regional chairman for the northeast, has written to the leaders of seven local councils to call for support to include travel sellers and “explain that shutting a shop means people won’t get refunds”. He suggested Abta and consortia


employ private lobbyists with access to the House of Commons to make the industry’s case, adding: “Hospitality had Eat Out to Help Out and now has wage support. Apart from initial grants, we’ve had no


support at all.” i Get Social, page 21


Tanzer demands ‘decisive action’ from government


Ian Taylor


Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer was set to demand “decisive and urgent action” from the government and its Global Travel Taskforce as he opened the Travel Convention on Wednesday, complaining that support for the industry so far “has been too little too late”. The industry had “experienced


cardiac arrest” since March, Tanzer was due to tell the convention, insisting: “We’re more than six months into this crisis and the


4 15 OCTOBER 2020


basic tools to help build customer confidence to travel are still missing. “We must move away from


blanket Foreign Office advice and have a regionalised approach to advice and quarantine. We urgently need a testing system that is rapid, efficient and trusted.” Transport secretary Grant


Shapps was due to address the online convention and Tanzer urged: “I implore you to have something in place soon. “We need direct sector support. The chancellor has recognised that


Mark Tanzer says ‘we need direct sector support’


the furlough scheme should be extended for hospitality. But health measures have effectively closed the travel industry, so we’re in the same boat. Only tailored support will enable us to get through the winter and avoid tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of job losses.” Tanzer was due to note the failure


to pay prompt refunds had “created a lot of anger and mistrust”, pointing out “the difficulty in extracting cash refunds from airlines” and arguing: “The idea that airlines don’t fail is surely gone, yet there is still no airline


insolvency provision in place.” However, he was to tell the


convention: “We should look hard at where the risk burden falls, but we must be careful what we wish for. If we strip out customer protections, we strip out a lot of the value we add.” Abta was due to launch a report,


‘Tourism for Good – A Roadmap for Rebuilding Travel and Tourism’, aimed at putting sustainability at the heart of travel’s recovery, with Tanzer arguing: “We have to look at the whole spectrum of sustainability issues and ask ‘how can we do more?’”


travelweekly.co.uk


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